Home » Newswire » The Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) celebrates the historic removal of over 100 years of gender discrimination with the federal government’s commitment to the implementation of Bill S-3 amendments before the election

The Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) celebrates the historic removal of over 100 years of gender discrimination with the federal government’s commitment to the implementation of Bill S-3 amendments before the election

by pmnationtalk onJune 24, 2019499 Views

The Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) celebrates the historic removal of over 100 years of gender discrimination with the federal government’s commitment to the implementation of Bill S-3 amendments before the election

Thunder Bay, ON – June 21, 2019 Indigenous women and their descendants have much to celebrate after generations of advocacy for the equal rights of Indigenous women, with the final removal of all gender-based discrimination from the Indian Act.

It was through the tireless work of notable Indigenous women activists like Jeannette Corbiere-Lavell, Sandra Lovelace, Mary Two-Axe Earley and Sharon McIvor, along with the support of the Senate of Canada that Bill S-3 will finally eliminate 143 years of gender based discrimination in the Indian Act. ONWA recognizes and applauds the tireless work of activist Lynn Gehl, creator of the slogan known as “6(1)a All the Way!” that the McIvor clan and Senate members rallied around in their 2017 effort to remove the long standing sex discrimination in the Indian Act. Lynn’s commitment has greatly contributed to this monumental day.

“I think especially in 2019, at a time when women’s rights around the world – but most pointedly south of the border – are being taken away and eroded, it is huge that the Trudeau Government has stepped up. Many Prime Ministers, both Conservative and Liberal, have failed to address this injustice in just the past 50 years. They have finally righted a historic wrong,” stated ONWA Board President Dawn Lavell-Harvard.

ONWA would like to recognize and thank Senators Lillian Eva Dyck and Marilou McPhedran for their leadership and commitment to supporting Indigenous women in this fundamental fight. Without the support of the Senate this day would not have been possible.

“I feel like I could break down and cry after a lifetime of fighting for this moment. My family will finally be whole again,” stated ONWA Board President Dawn Lavell-Harvard.

The implementation of the Bill S-3 amendments is the first step towards reconciliation with Indigenous women, beginning their journey towards healing and reclaiming identity.

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